When You Were Young: Trifecta
by mew-tsubaki
Summary: Tsubaki's new trio: Remus, Sirius, and Severus. Their girls? Luna, Ginny, and...I don't wanna say. You'll have to read to find out. But it's a good hot, bloody read, especially since SevvyPoo's a vampire. X3
1. Whence It All Began And Ended

When You Were Young –Trifecta

A HariPo Fanfiction

by mew-tsubaki

Disclaimer: Unless I mention at the beginning of a chapter, all the characters used in the story belong to J.K. Rowling.

NOTE: SOME PLOT LINES FROM THE DEATHLY HALLOWS MAY BE USED. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. Here's to more odd pairings from me… :) Anyway, while I don't think I'll be terribly flamed for the couples, please keep in mind that things will change as the story progresses. Hopefully, my timeline will stay intact with my own elements for the story and I will do my best not to drag things or rush them. PLEASE! Tell me if I'm dragging or rushing, if you love or hate the story, if you love or hate me! I want to read YOUR REVIEWS! Without further ado, the story:

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Chapter One: Whence It All Began…and Ended

The tips of her nails slit his back open and little beads of blood ran along his spine. She looked at what she had done. "Whoops! We can't have you bleeding all over the place." The woman grabbed her wand from the nightstand and waved it over his back. "There! Good as new."

You may want to get rid of my skin underneath your nails, too," the male said, holding her hands in his. His onyx eyes flashed red for a split-second as they roved over her naked body. "But you should leave that for later…" He placed his mouth over hers and kissed her, allowing her tongue to flick over his. When she let him go, he kissed her body –a peck here, another there –but then she hugged him to her chest. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her, too, but something was different tonight. A wet substance hit his head and dribbled down his forehead. How warm it was… In an instant, he knew what it was. He looked up just in time to see her hide her face and frowned. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"No, no, it's not your fault," she said, wiping her tears on the back of her hand. "I'm not sure we could escape him even if we had had more time. Dumbledore put up all the defenses he could that would still allow members of the Order in. All of this has been taxing on him, too. I mean, he put up the same barriers for the Longbottoms in case Voldemort wants to eliminate _all_ possible candidates to kill him, but Voldemort is Voldemort. Even _you_ don't know how he truly thinks, Sev." She sighed and looked into the kindest eyes she had ever seen. Sure, he could be an arse sometimes, but Severus Snape was a gentleman of his own kind.

"Lily…" Her name on his lips always made his heart skip a beat. She looked beautiful, even now with her hair clinging to her skin in places from perspiration. How he regretted being the one to give the Dark Lord the information that was leading him right to her child. And now, he would live out an eternity dying to kill himself, but that was not an option anymore. He had been so close, everything had been perfect –but then he heard the snippet of a prophecy that they both knew would lead to her death.

"Sev?"

Severus blinked and was looking into Lily's green eyes again. "I know, I know…" He backed off of her and dressed, then waited as she put her turtleneck and slacks back on. He followed her out of the room and to the fireplace, where he paused for one final goodbye. "I love you, Lily, and no one else."

Lily kissed him and smiled. "You say that _now_, Sev. Just wait. Your dream girl will show up some day. She'll probably be a thousand times prettier and smarter than me."

"No!" he interjected.

The woman only shook her head. "You're bound to forget me _some_ day, Sev. I promise you'll love her –maybe even more than you'd ever think possible. Just do me a favor."

"Whisk you away from James?" Severus greedily smiled.

Lily merely rolled her eyes. "No. Do me a favor and catch her while you can. You chickened out with me and then James appeared." She smiled again, but this time it was bittersweet. "I'll miss you, Severus. Goodbye."

With one final embrace, Severus reached into his pouch of Floo powder and dropped the sparkling dust. "Spinner's End!" Green flames enveloped him and he watched Lily's emerald eyes turn away as she exited the room to check on baby Harry, who was promptly crying his little heart out.

Severus fell to his knees when he saw the background was the dark and dreary décor of his house on Spinner's End. He slammed his fist on the floor. Tears were welling up behind his eyes, but he couldn't free them; grief had not entirely hit him yet.

He stood and stomped out into the sitting room. He flipped the coffee table over and tore the couch apart. The eyes of his ancestors watched him from the safety of their portraits, but they soon were, too, endangered. "_SECTUMSEMPRA!!!_" Slashes magically appeared on the canvases and gilded frames and any remains hit the floor with a crash.

The wizard marched to the other rooms of his home and unconsciously reduced them to ashes. Severus reached his own room and was about to swipe his arm over the possessions on his desk, but stopped. A silver picture frame stared back at him rather mockingly. He picked it up and his shoulder sagged; one of the few pictures he had of himself and Lily and a large, splintering crack ran down the middle of it in between them. Defeated, Severus sat down with the picture on his bed. Maybe they hadn't been destined to be together, but he loved her and knew he would love her forever, even after this horrible night was over…

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18 years later…

"Happy Birthday, Harry!!"

Cheers and jeers resounded in Twelve Grimmauld Place as the Boy-Who-Lived blew out the nineteen birthday candles on the giant Hogwarts crest cake. The Asian girl to his left bent over him and gave him a nice birthday smooch on the lips. Twin redheads in the back hooted and another male redhead, his younger sister, and a blonde boy gagged.

"I think our birthday boy's getting lucky tonight, George," one twin said to his brother.

"Oh, look, Fred. We made 'em blush!"

Indeed, Harry and Cho Chang were simultaneously reddening. Harry half-frowned at the twins. "Guys…"

"Sorry, sorry," they said in unison.

The other redhead poked Harry in the ribs. "No details if it _does_ happen, though, mate," he whispered.

Harry grinned. "What? You don't need any tips for Hermione, Ron?" he uttered back.

"Look you little-"

The blonde boy interrupted Ron's retort. "Hey, I can stay as long as I want, right?"

"You have a home, Draco," Harry answered. "The festivities only last a little while."

Draco ran a hand through his slicked-back hair. "Dammit! Pansy won't leave me alone! I can't get out of the house anymore. You say 'home', Potter. I say 'prison'."

"Aw, the snake doesn't want to make babies with his banshee of a girlfriend?"

"Watch it, little girl." Draco drew his wand out and held it in her face.

Ron shoved Draco's arm down. "I wouldn't hurt Ginny, if I were you. She has six big brothers who're all but waiting to beat you up if you try anything. Besides, she could probably snap that twig you call a wand in half if she wanted to."

Ginny pushed the two males apart. "Excuse me. I have say in this, too, you know. And I say I want some chocolate cake." The witch passed her plate to Cho. "The Slytherin part's chocolate, right? I'll take the head of the snake, please."

Cho beheaded the silver serpent and passed it to Ginny. "Who else wants cake? Gryffindor's angel food cake, Slytherin's chocolate, Ravenclaw's marble, and Hufflepuff's coffee. You want part of the lion, right, Harry?"

"No, I'll have some Ravenclaw, please." As soon it had left his mouth, Harry winced. "I _so_ didn't mean it that way."

The twins whistled. "I'm not sure we're really supposed to be here, guys," Fred stated with a smug grin.

"It _is_ Harry's choice whether he wants to celebrate or boff his girl," George commented. A hardy blow to his head made him yelp. "OW! Ange…"

Angelina Johnson glared at him. "Watch your tongue, George, or so help me Merlin I will cut it out."

"No you wouldn't. You like it too much."

_WHACK!_

"Okay, okay, I'll stop…"

They all shared a good laugh as Mr. and Mrs. brought out butterbeers for everyone. Bill and Fleur followed close behind with the mound of gifts for Harry. Fleur passed him a large basket loosely wrapped in a floral paper with several punctures in it. "Pleez open zis first, 'Arry," she said. "Eet iz from both Bill and me."

Harry began to undo the bow at the top, but stopped as his present clawed through the rest of the wrapping paper. Two pairs of shining, huge, yellow-green eyes looked at him. "This one's…round. Very round," Harry said, trying not to laugh.

Bill petted the larger cat's head. "They're twin adult males. The fat one's Blubba and the one half his size is Zephyr. Fleur and I fund them outside Gringott's and had them checked out. They're healthy, have great personalities, and –most importantly –aren't Dark Wizards in disguise."

Harry met Blubba's eyes and Blubba stared back. He petted the cat's head, but Blubba didn't coo appreciatively as he had with Bill. Suddenly, the feline jumped onto the table and trotted around the food until he reached Ginny. He looked at her for a second then rubbed his head against her hand, purring as loud as a motorbike.

Fleur frowned. "We are so sorry, 'Arry. 'E was so nice to us; Blubba did not appear to be selective at all."

"It's okay, Fleur."

"_OW!_" Everyone turned their eyes to Draco." Something clawed my bloody leg!!"

Harry looked back to his basket and saw that Zephyr was missing. Not good.

"Are you kidding? It's just a cat," came a voice from the shadows. A slender figure stepped forward and claimed the voice. The black ensemble, coal-colored hair, and onyx eyes belonged to one person: Severus Snape. "Where's your pride as a Slytherin, Draco?"

The room went deathly, uncomfortably quiet. For a straight minute, Severus's eyes locked with Harry's, but Severus broke away first. He tossed Harry a small package. "Something to use in your Auror office after you finish training," he stated.

Harry had caught it, but left it unopened and placed it with the other gifts. "I'm not sure 'glad you came' fits here, or that it's 'nice you showed'. You can pull up a chair, though."

Severus had half a mind to smack the boy, but restrained himself. If he and Potter were to have a truce, Severus had to see that he and his friends had not told anyone else of his memories. Just that bastard Voldemort had seemingly killed him with Nagini didn't mean that Severus had actually died. A monster like him couldn't be disposed of so easily. Lily's smiling face appeared in his mind's eye. _"Why do you say you're a monster?"_ she'd ask. _"Everyone has to survive _some_ way; your way is just a bit different from everyone else's."_ But she had never fully understood the meaning of his words. Not only were his means of survival inhuman, but he was more than one kind of monster.

Pursing his lips, Severus pulled one of the chairs from the table and half sat in the shadows. Soon, he got the feeling of being watched. He picked his head up just in time to see the Granger girl turn her head away and mumble something into her Weasley's ear. The Weasley gave him a stern look, which Severus returned, and shook his head at Granger. She obviously thought Severus wasn't staring back anymore and chanced another look at him, but reddened and didn't turn again when her eyes had met his once more.

_Damn mudblood,_ Severus thought, then he felt like kicking himself. Calling Lily that had gotten him into enough trouble once; he didn't have enough strength right now to argue if he said the word out loud.

He watched as more presents were unwrapped, the cat named Zephyr happily bit Draco, and everyone else had a good time. Severus gritted his teeth; this was no place for him to be. Potter had invited out of pity and their truce, not because they were suddenly the best of mates. No, no one would ever take that position in Severus's life again, not after Lily.

Severus snapped out of his daydreams at the sound of chair legs scratching on the hard wood floor. The others were cleaning up the dining room and bustling about. He took it as his cue to leave when Granger bumped into him by accident.

"S-Sorry," she squeaked, and she ran off into the kitchen.

Something she had seen in his eyes had scared her –that much was obvious. But what?

Hunger hit Severus like a two-ton brick. Carefully, he slipped away into the shadows and left the way he came. How did he leave? Just like any other being in his species: he melted into the darkness.

But where to hunt tonight…?

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Honestly, one thing I don't think came across very clearly was who was at Harry's 19th, so here they are: Harry (duh), Cho, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Draco, the twins, Angelina, Verity (even though she didn't have any lines), Bill, Fleur, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Sev. Percy's not there because he's an asshole; Charlie's off on the Dragon Plains; I didn't need Seamus or Dean there; and Luna, Neville, Tonks, Remus, and Sirius will be explained later on.

Also, if you have read any of Lady-Kyo's stories, you may have seen Blubba the cat pop up. Just so you know, he's not her original character nor is he mine: he's our real-life cat. Blubba shares both of us and so we share him in our stories.

ANY REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED!!!

Thankx!

-mew-tsubaki


	2. Old Faces That Should Be Old

When You Were Young –Trifecta

A HariPo Fanfiction

by mew-tsubaki

Disclaimer: Unless I mention at the beginning of a chapter, all the characters used in the story belong to J.K. Rowling.

NOTE: SOME PLOT LINES FROM THE DEATHLY HALLOWS MAY BE USED. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. Here's to more odd pairings from me… :) Anyway, while I don't think I'll be terribly flamed for the couples, please keep in mind that things will change as the story progresses. Hopefully, my timeline will stay intact with my own elements for the story and I will do my best not to drag things or rush them. PLEASE! Tell me if I'm dragging or rushing, if you love or hate the story, if you love or hate me! I want to read YOUR REVIEWS! Without further ado, the story:

------------------------------ - 3

Chapter Two: Old Faces That _Should_ Be Old

His lungs constricted and he tripped over his own two feet, falling face-first into the mud. Turning into Nytemyst had done Severus little good, but he had fed dawn and should have had enough strength to go three days without feeding again. So why was he starving as if he had skipped a meal for six weeks straight?

Severus picked himself up and wrapped his robes tighter around himself. The downpour on Spinner's End had drenched him the moment he had left his house, but he must ignore. Right now he needed to find adequate prey, not some little appetizer like a rabbit or a stray dog. The shrubs that made up the woods a little ways away from Spinner's End carried a variety of vermin that could usually quench his thirst, but tonight's hunger was worse than that of the night he was turned... Where could he get something large enough to make it through the night?

_It'll be morning soon enough,_ he thought glumly as he tossed aside another shriveled rodent carcass; he couldn't even tell what it was anymore, it had shrunken so much. Severus could feel in his veins that the sun would be up soon –not that it would turn him to ash or have him spontaneously combust, mind you. Actually, the most harm the sun ever threatened was a severe sunburn and the opportunity to throw his powers out of whack. Not that his powers would do anything for him right now. But having his powers readied would give him back his vigor, and he needed that in order to live.

Thinking of the woods again, Severus wished it was a forest with a few black bears or something to snack on. That's when it him and he mentally smacked himself: the Forbidden Forest. Of course! The centaurs had been warring with each other and had given up on honoring their dead, seeing as how there were too many bodies to honor. With the centaurs leaving bodies left and right, Severus was sure to get one big enough to satisfy him.

With that shred of hope, he stood up, wiped the blood from his mouth, and turned on his heel, Apparating to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, and the edge of Hogwarts territory.

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A rustling in the nearby trees made him pick his head up. He sniffed the air and his ears flattened against his head. Shit. Someone had showed up just as he was getting ready to change back. _Bloody hell…_

He raced back to where he had draped his clothes and felt the start of the change begin. Instinctively, he curled up into a ball as best he could; it helped with the excruciating pain. His fingers released his shirt as fur turned back into skin. The sun had fully risen when he was human again. He opened his eyes –slowly –and sat up. How many times he had gone through this, he knew not, but he _did_ know he would never get used to going from man to wolf, wolf to man. The khaki pants and tweed sweater almost felt alien on his skin when compared to the crispness of the dirt and grass, and this was not a good sign. The last few transformations had been getting longer and longer, and the previous night as a werewolf had been his longest yet. He frowned; it was only a matter of time until he couldn't change into a man again.

And, now that he was human once more, his hearing was that of a human's as well. He didn't hear anyone approach until that person showed himself. He turned, fearful that maybe the centaurs of something more disagreeable had found him, and saw a familiar sneer. He smirked himself. "Well, well, Severus. Lost some of your detentions students in the Forest? Or just your wits?"

Severus didn't bite. "Neither, but you've apparently lost your sense of time. Can't you feel that it's still summer with your canine instincts? Oh, that's right. I've forgotten that you pride yourself on being a were now. How silly of me."

The other man gritted his teeth. "I don't pride myself on other people's mistakes."

Severus looked him up and down. "No, I guess you haven't really, Lupin."

Lupin changed the subject. "So why are you here? As you said, it's summer. The new term won't start for several weeks, I suppose."

"I am here of my own accord." Severus took a step back and a ray of sunlight bounced off his features.

"I see now." Lupin's eyes drifted over Severus. "A glamour, right? You should know you'd be visible to another magical beast. I thought you detested fey magic, though."

Severus grimaced. "It comes in handy sometimes."

"Like for the past twenty years? Well, almost twenty years. You've been twenty-one for a while, Snape."

"Still older than you," Severus scoffed. "Remus Lupin... Scratched as a child, correct? But becoming a full werewolf takes years for your body to accept. I can tell you've tried to hide your face by stopping the process around it so it can still age, but you haven't done a good job of it. You can hide behind what you say is a bulky layer of clothing when you know it's not. One can only do so much until the ones around him start to see that you aren't aging as they are."

Remus's blood was boiling. "In case you haven't noticed, there aren't any people around me, you damned bloodsucker."

Severus's eyes flashed red as his own anger grew, but he felt his hunger calling again. He ignored it. Wouldn't a werewolf be more filling than a centaur? He fell to one knee, though, and decided he didn't have enough time to tackle Lupin today. The best he could hope for was something already dead.

He picked his head up to discover that Lupin had already made a quick getaway. "Damn it!!" Then his nose picked up the scent of fresh blood and Severus was off. _At least one hunger will be fulfilled..._

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Stopping at the foot of one of the mountains, Lupin shook himself. Apparition always gave him a creepy-crawly feeling after a night under the full moon.

Remus Lupin shifted his brown eyes back to the Forbidden Forest. He almost felt bad for Snape, knowing how vampires usually attacked their victims. Then again, this was Snape we're talking about. Knowing Snape, vampires didn't just attack him and Snape was never a victim.

He half-smiled to himself at the thought of other people. How was Harry doing? And the others? Remus could almost picture their faces, but when the scene faded to form him, Sirius, James, and Lily standing in Godric's Hollow, all he could see was their blurred faces. Even Sirius, who he had seen not that many years ago, was faint. He sighed; was anyone _really_ benefiting from his absence?

Remus started up the mountain to his makeshift flat, an exuberantly blue sky leading the way.

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I know this chapter was kinda short, but I need to get to the next part faster (and part of it was emphasis). I'll try not to explain things in these endnotes of every chapter, but I need to at least for now. Ages seem a bit murky, but you have read correctly: Sev is permanently 21 and Remus is permanently 18-ish (though not mentioned yet). Harry and Ron are 19; Neville (though not appearing) and Ginny will be 19 soon, as will Luna, and Hermione will be 20 later on. Keep tabs if you want, but this is just info for the timeline!

READ & REVIEW!!!

Thankx!

-mew-tsubaki


	3. My Girl and the Change Coming Over Her

When You Were Young –Trifecta

A HariPo Fanfiction

by mew-tsubaki

Disclaimer: Unless I mention at the beginning of a chapter, all the characters used in the story belong to J.K. Rowling.

NOTE: SOME PLOT LINES FROM THE DEATHLY HALLOWS MAY BE USED. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. Here's to more odd pairings from me… :) Anyway, while I don't think I'll be terribly flamed for the couples, please keep in mind that things will change as the story progresses. Hopefully, my timeline will stay intact with my own elements for the story and I will do my best not to drag things or rush them. PLEASE! Tell me if I'm dragging or rushing, if you love or hate the story, if you love or hate me! I want to read YOUR REVIEWS! Without further ado, the story:

------------------------------ - 3

Chapter Three: "My Girl" and the Change Coming Over Her

"Hermione…!" Ron groaned. "For the last time, there was nothing wrong with Snape's eyes! Well, nothing out of the norm for him, at least."

The bronze-haired genius flared her nostrils and turned on her heel. "You believe me, don't you, Harry?" But her friend was not there.

"You missed him. I saw him sneak upstairs with Cho about a sec ago." Ron tsked and then put his arms around Hermione's shoulders, inhaling the light scent of her perfume.

Hermione furrowed her brow. She hated how Ron thought he could just cool her off with an intimate gesture. Shrugging him off, Hermione collected her jacket and purse and walked to the front door.

Ron caught up with her, looking affronted. "Hey! Where are you going?"

She glared at her love. "Never-you-mind!!" Before he could protest anymore, Hermione was already out the door, walking down the street. She didn't dare Apparate with this fury and risk Splinching her body parts this way and that. And she didn't dare confront Snape. As much she hated accepting it, she agreed with Ron that she should leave him alone, even if Snape's eyes had flashed an iridescent red…

The girl shuddered. Even if it had been for a mere millisecond, those red eyes seemed burnt in her memory, as if they had been flames. Maybe she _should_ ignore it. After all, only creatures have characteristics like that, and Snape was only a wizard. Then again…

There was a lot that she, Ron, and Harry knew about Snape, but Hermione felt they had barely scratched the surface. Okay, they had barely _touched_ the surface was more like it. Hermione sighed. Being surrounded be knuckle-heads and their over-inflated egos took a lot out of a witch.

"Woo! Lookit wot we've got 'ere!"

Hermione picked her head up and realized just how late at night it was. She looked around and saw a group of men not that much older than her eying her like a piece of meat. _Shit,_ she thought. _The one night I decide _not_ to use magic and this happens. Great._ She made sure not to make eye contact with any of them and hurried down the street, towards the streetlight. But it was no good, for when she reached the light, she realized she had no idea where she was. Usually, she just Apparated onto Harry's doorstep with Ron; other than that, she didn't know the area very well.

Her head snapped up as she sensed someone behind her. She glanced down at the ground and saw the silhouette of a huge figure. It was probably one of the men… Hermione balled her fist up silently and then whirled around and-

_CRACK!_

"gasp DRACO?!"

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"Yes, it's me, you bloody nitwit!!" Draco howled in pain as he touched his nose. "Dammit, woman… I think you broke my nose!!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't be the first time…"

He scowled. "Don't _I_ know it. Look," he said, shifting nervously on his feet, "I wanted to ask you something."

She scrutinized his expression. "What?"

"Help me break up with Pansy."

Hermione snickered. "That thing's your problem, not mine."

Draco sneered. "And if I break up with her incorrectly, she could be everyone's problem."

Hermione shoved her wand tip into his cheek. "No, just yours." She raised an eyebrow at him then put her wand away and sighed. "Why are you asking me this? I'm a mudblood, remember?"

"Well, you're still not a Weasley," Draco stated with an air of distaste. "That girl would never let me live it down. And she'd probably tell all her brothers about it, too."

"And what makes you think I won't tell Ron?"

"The fact that you're one of the few, remaining decent human beings on this planet."

Again, she bunched her brow together and mulled the thought over in her head. "Fine. Go on. Why do you want to break up with her?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "She's a blob of smothering perkiness. Who _wouldn't _want to break up with her?"

Hermione flared her nostrils. "Well, she's still a person. With _feelings_, Draco, unlike some snakes I could mention."

"Yes, yes, jeering aside –will you help me or not?"

She uncomfortably shifted from one foot to the other and sighed once more. "…all right." Hermione glanced at her watch and shook her head. "Ooh, I've got to get home now." She looked at Draco and fumbled her words: "Th-thanks. For back there, you know… Yeah."

Draco didn't seem to be paying any real attention. "Sure, whatever. See you soon, mu –_Granger_," he corrected himself, and then he was off.

Hermione found a quiet, deserted alley and Apparated back to her home. She was glad her parents were asleep; they seemed to hate any sign of magic, and the _POPs_ were the worst. As she made her way to her room, she wondered if it was time for a change of pace for her, too.

Inside her room, it was quiet and Hermione felt an unearthly chill creep up her spine. But what was the feeling? The genius scanned her room, but she was in there alone. Yet the feeling remained. Something had been here…and the author knows not what.

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_Elsewhere…_

"OH! Mymymymymymymymymymymymymymymymymy!! What a riveting story! It is _certainly_ worthy of a headline! Front page article, in fact!" The editor looked at the young woman before him. "You've done another splendid job, my dear Luna."

Luna blinked, emotionless. "I'm going to work on an article on the Great Hall's ceiling now. I will probably be away for a few weeks or so, Father. The weather in the Great Hall's been moody for quite some time, you know."

"Yes, yes, by all means go, Luna. I can't wait to grace the _Quibbler_ with another one of your stories." Her father beamed at her as if she was still his tiny tot –of course, she always would be in his eyes. :)

Luna's eyes remained their glassy blue as she floated up the stairs to her bedroom and gathered a few things. Her expression stayed the same blank one it had always been, and probably always would be. She stopped for a minute when she was just about done and gazed out her window. It was quiet beautiful; the moon, hanging just above the mountains, gave an eerie splendor to its surroundings, and Luna found herself wondering what it would be like to be the moon. _I could see everything during the night, _she thought. _And I'd check back in with everyone every few nights or so._ She looked at the heavenly body with attentive eyes now.

_I wouldn't have to worry ever again._

"Luna!!" her father shouted from downstairs. "Time to go, dear!"

She snapped out of her conscious thoughts and drifted back to her normal dream-like state. Her bag closed with a snap –and she was off.

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"Ginny, you're back already?" Molly Weasley asked her daughter, who trudged in through the front door of the Burrow. Ginny sat down at the kitchen table, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Headache, dear?"

The girl winced. "A big one. I think I also ate too much cake. I feel a bit queasy…"

"Don't be sick in the kitchen, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley quipped. "I just finished cleaning in here." She watched her daughter with a careful eye. "So how was the party?"

"Great." Ginny sighed. "Harry enjoyed his presents, Snape came and went, Malfoy was clawed by a cat –oh! I forgot!" The redhead gently set her rucksack-of-a-purse on the table. "One of Harry's presents enjoyed me."

Mrs. Weasley peered at the bag just as a cat popped its head out of it. The woman nearly had a heart attack. "What the-?!"

Ginny grinned. "Blubba didn't take to kindly to Harry, but he loves me for some reason, so Harry said I could take him. Blubba's twin, Zephyr, was the one who kept attacking Malfoy, and Zephyr decided to stay with Harry and Cho. You don't mind more company around the house, do you?" She gave her mother another small grin. "Blub and Zeph had been out on the streets before, so Blub has no place to go…"

The older woman rolled her eyes. "Fine. I will _tolerate_ the cat, but you take care of him. I'll have no trouble caused by this feline."

As if on cue, Blubba started cooing appreciatively, showing Mrs. Weasley his _BIG_ yellow-green eyes. "I think he likes you," Ginny commented. Her mother raised an eyebrow. "Well, 'night, Mum." Ginny scooped up Blubba and scurried up to her room.

Once inside, she shut the door, let Blub down, and collapsed on her bed, a coldsweat breaking out on her brow. "Ungh…" _My head feels like it's going to split in two…!!! _Ginny felt so terrible that she couldn't keep thinking straight, and she struggled to fall asleep for almost an hour until slumber finally accepted her. Though, not necessarily slumber, but an old memory…

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Wow, I've been slow recently with my account. Sorry, people. Please bear with me as school's a pain in the ass. I hope you have enjoyed what little of the story I have up so far and I hope you will keep reading, because –while it may be another long while before I post again –the story's _really_ going to move along.

Thanks goes to those who reviewed & to those reading and not reviewing (yet, I hope).

Thankx!

mew-tsubaki


	4. The Daymares That Follow

When You Were Young –Trifecta

A HariPo Fanfiction

by mew-tsubaki

Disclaimer: Unless I mention at the beginning of a chapter, all the characters used in the story belong to J.K. Rowling.

NOTE: *SOME PLOT LINES FROM THE DEATHLY HALLOWS MAY BE USED. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.* Here's to more odd pairings from me… :) Anyway, while I don't think I'll be terribly flamed for the couples, please keep in mind that things will change as the story progresses. Hopefully, my timeline will stay intact with my own elements for the story and I will do my best not to drag things or rush them. PLEASE! Tell me if I'm dragging or rushing, if you love or hate the story, if you love or hate me! I want to read YOUR REVIEWS! Without further ado, the story:

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Chapter Four: The Daymares That Follow

One of them entered his mind. _Who are you? You aren't within our records of ever being born._ He ignored it.

Another pursued the subject. _Your powers aren't the usual ones, either. Why are you so unique?_

_Don't tell us you're mixed!_

The last one angered him enough to force his mind completely closed. A few more attempts, and Severus probably would have been found out.

He sighed. It had been almost two days since his altercations at Potter's party. His bloodlust had subdued for now, but he was still wondering just what had happened to him to make him lose control. Maybe he had accidentally eaten something magical… That was the only logical explanation he could come up with at the moment. Severus didn't recall anything noteworthy enough to have affected him this way. Then again, sometimes big and strong things are disguised in small packages.

Severus walked to the window in his bedroom and leaned against the windowsill, thinking back on the days –_peaceful_ days- spent with Lily. He stood still, just picturing every detail he remembered of her: her silky hair; her soft, supple, _inviting_ skin; her sensuous lips that curved into a devilish grin whenever she was planning something… Severus sighed again; he missed her so much.

_Speaking of missing her…_ Severus tried to be indifferent towards the shiver that ran down his spine and into his libido as his body remembered Lily, as well. He straightened himself up, shaking himself as he planned his next dining spot. Even after all that gorging, he still possessed some kind of hunger. He knew not of what.

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"Welcome back, Miss Lovegood. You are well, I suppose?"

"Hello, headmaster," Luna cooed in her dreamy tone. "I'm quite well, thank you."

Albus Dumbledore nodded. "I hear the _Quibbler_ is doing well, too. I've read some of your articles myself, and I am by far impressed. You don't think you'll find much here, do you?"

"You never know," Luna said in as much a serious tone as she was capable of managing. Her head bobbed up and down as she spoke. "Hogwarts is a very mysterious place, and I want to immortalize the institution on paper." She faced Dumbledore as they reached the Great Hall. "I appreciate you permitting me to stay in Hagrid's cabin during this school year. The year starts in about six or so weeks, correct?"

"Mm, yes. I assure you no one will bother you, and that all of our teaching staff is glad to see an old pupil return." Dumbledore faced the Great Hall. "I suppose it is time to eat. Care to join us wrinkly wizards for a meal?"

"Actually, I think I'm going to start research for other stories now. If you'll excuse me…" Luna smiled at the headmaster in parting, and scampered back to her new, temporary lodging. She grabbed an Auto-Write quill, a muggle notebook that Hermione had sent –she quite liked the spiral binding –and the latest edition of the _Quibbler_, Specter Specs inside. She stepped outside and looked at her surroundings.

Being placed in Hagrid's old cabin gave her some good advantages. Yes, she would have to trudge up the hillside to work on any stories surrounding the castle, but the Forbidden Forest was a goldmine of creature stories. And all she had to do was step into the backyard.

Luna was about to step into the forest when she heard the pounding of hooves on the ground, and the vibrations went through her feet and jostled her knees. Maybe going into the forest at night wasn't as good an idea as she had first thought. With the centaurs warring with one another, the last thing she needed was for them to squint at her in the nighttime and decide that she was an enemy and kill her.

For the first time ever, a sigh escaped the usually emotionally detached girl. Things would be so slow here.

Right?

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The next morning, Ginny awoke and rubbed her temples. Pain faded from the front of her head, the remnants of last night's headache.

_Or migraine,_ she thought as she went downstairs for breakfast. It was quiet, and the girl wondered if her parents were up yet. She glanced at the clock; it was noon, and her father was at work, her mother on errands. So, she had the house to herself. On a second glance, she realized that no, she wasn't alone. Ron was still in bed.

_Well, it's quiet right now, which is what's important._ She grabbed an apple and stepped outside. The witch silently munched on the fruit while she looked up into the bright blue sky. A few puffy clouds dotted the sky, but otherwise it looked like it would be a beautiful day.

Then the pain returned. At first, it was like a buzzing in the back of her brain, but then it hurt so much that Ginny dropped the apple and had to lean against the front door's jamb. A small whimper escaped her; the pain was excruciating…

A chime resounded in the far distance –or so Ginny thought. She looked up and saw she was still alone, but the area around the Weasley home seemed quiet, too. She squinted her eyes, looking for a person she might have missed in the distance…and the witch realized the pain was gone.

_Just like that…?_

The witch shook her head, not sure what to make of this strange occurrence. She went back inside and up to her room to change. She _had_ to get out of the house.

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"So you're telling me that she's not even human?" Hermione snorted. "Please, Draco. That's not new knowledge."

Draco crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back in his chair. "I can't stand her. I don't even remember how I came to live with Pansy, the damn beast." He tsked as a waiter bumped his chair in the busy restaurant. "And the service here's lousy."

The genius witch rolled her eyes. "And the millionaire here needs to reign in his quick-to-judge attitude."

"I'm not a millionaire," he groused. "My father's actions made sure of that. At least he's dead. Besides, I'm building myself up, my own name."

"Doing what?" she asked.

"Now, it's not in the line of Borgin and Burke's," he began, "but I've started a business seeking and collecting magical items. Sometimes it's to retain a wizard or witch's personal effect, other times it's to take powerful items out of a muggle's unknowing hands." The blonde sipped his coffee. "It's more profitable than you might think."

Hermione looked impressed. "It's an out-of-the-box idea. Good for you, Draco."

"Well, _you_ think so." He rolled his eyes. "Pansy's so damn whiny that it's been hampering things at the store. Merlin, you'd think she was a baby."

"While women do want attention and affection from their better halves, it does sound like Pansy's a little too expectant," Hermione stated. "Do you have any ideas how you want to end it? Or any ideas as to what might happen if you end it incorrectly?"

"_That's_ any easy one: She'll probably destroy the house and my business. But I wouldn't put it past her to also stalk me. And if she sees me with your gang again, I wouldn't put it past her to harm you –_and_ me. I mean, Harry's not that bad after all," he added in a small voice.

She couldn't help it. "What was that?"

"Harry's not that bad after all," Draco spat. "You can be tolerable, and Weasley –well, maybe I'll leave Weasley to Pansy after all."

"Draco…"

"Okay, okay… You three are kind of my acquaintances…"

"I'll take that as Draco-speak for 'friends'."

A slight blush dusted the apples of his cheeks. "Anyway, the sooner I get rid of her, the better. I'm exhausted."

Hermione cupped her cheek in the palm of her hand. "You _do_ have bags under your eyes… Okay," she said, clasping her hands together. "I have a few ideas."

"I'm willing to hear anything."

"First, there's the classic 'It's not you, it's me' line. Girls hate it because it's typically overused, but girls love it because they don't feel the need to shoulder any blame."

Draco's expression was that of a person with a bad taste in their mouth. "I don't know… She _might _be stupid enough to think it's all my fault –I mean, she already does –but I can't be a hundred percent sure. What else?"

"Well, there's also the separate-ways back door. The relationship is tired, and you don't want to tie her down."

He immediately shook his head. "She'll beat the crap out of me for that one. She wants to tie _me_ down."

Hermione pursed her lips. "Well, you could always come up with a mystery girl and say you've fallen in love with someone. Tell Pansy that you liked her, but you've found your heart in someone else. Rash, but it defines lines right away."

"So it'll look like I've been cheating on her?"

"Yes, that could appear on the surface, but the girl doesn't even have to be real."

Draco snorted. "Trust me: With Pansy, she'll have to be real, otherwise there won't be an eyewitness when she Avada Kedavra's my sorry arse."

Hermione smacked her forehead. "Just pick something!" She looked back up at him to find his eyes locked on hers.

"What was that third option again…?"

"Uh-uh. Not if I was the last witch –the last _woman_ on Earth!! Find someone else to play your girlfriend!!"

"But you said it yourself, that we're friends."

"_You_ said we're acquaintances!!" Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Don't you have _any_ ideas?" She blinked. "And you really want to do the last choice, fake having a lover?" She peered more closely at him. "You seem rather intent on that idea…"

"N-no, I don't," he spluttered. He dropped his gaze to his coffee.

"You _do_ have an idea of someone else," Hermione stated. She straightened up. "You _are_ sick of Pansy, but you've also fallen for someone else." She brightened. "Who is it?" Just as quickly, her face fell. "If that's why you wanted me to-"

"It's not you!" Draco interrupted. "I honestly hadn't thought about it before. But I've seen her some more around here, since I have a satellite store out in this area." He turned his icy eyes on the witch. "And I _really_ mean I hadn't thought about it before, because I always thought of her as annoying. I don't like her family much either."

Hermione was taken aback. "So this isn't just some woman off the street. You know her well enough to know her family. Jeez, Draco. You could've said so from the beginning. Obviously, you should make a move on her, and somehow break things off with Pansy. It's your chance to find happiness." Hermione finished her iced tea. "So, what's Miss Mysterious like?"

Draco couldn't hide his flaming cheeks. "Do you have to know…?"

"Draco."

"All right, already… She's outspoken and firm in her decisions, to the point where she's been in my face about it."

"So you've had interaction with her. Good."

"Shut up. Do you want me to continue or not?" The wizard sighed and rubbed his arms. He wore a short-sleeved T-shirt, and Hermione could see him getting goose bumps just thinking about this ideal lady. "She's bubbly and funny, too, though I never would have admitted that before. She's not really tiny, but –when I see her shopping by herself –I get the image of a baby bird in my mind, and I feel like she needs me. Then, of course, I remember her family would kill me before I could smile for the first time at her. Usually, I only ever get the chance to be a jerk to her. Now, that bugs me."

"'Now'?" Hermione echoed. "So you've known her for a long time, then. She's a childhood friend."

"Maybe…"

"What's her name?"

Draco shook his head. "I'm not giving that away when I can't even have a civil conversation with her, you moron." He paused. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been mean. I _do_ need your help."

The witch frowned. "Fine. But maybe you should consider actually setting things in motion with this one while we contemplate how to handle Pansy."

"Thanks…" Draco stood and put some money down. "That'll cover us both. I'll contact you again when I next need you." He nodded by way of parting, and exited the restaurant.

Hermione furrowed her brow. _Who the hell has caught his eye, though?_ she wondered. _Okay, she didn't just catch his eye. I'd definitely say he's in love with this girl._ She stood and picked up the bills and winced when one crisp bill sliced her finger. "Ow, dammit…" She instinctively lifted her finger to lick it –and stopped.

Blood red.

_Deep _red.

Red.

She blinked several times in rapid succession, pulling herself back to the present. That color had reminded her of Snape's eyes at Harry's party. Hermione _knew_ what she had seen: Snape's black eyes, flashing an iridescent red, then returning to black. Well, not entirely black. They had seemed to fade from red to black, and she had seen his eyes act up at least once more before leaving the party.

Hermione stopped and shook herself. She had to push that out of her mind. She stuck her finger in her mouth anyway, paid for the drinks, and was on her merry way. _If only it _could_ be merry,_ Hermione thought. Suddenly, Snape was at the forefront of her mind, and she couldn't get him out. She felt there was only one course of action to cure her of this.

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Ooh, nice… Woulda been nicer if I had been working more on this story, huh? I'm sorry, guys, I know how much you like this story, but it's kinda back up and running now, so please stay with me, peoples! TSUBAKI'S BACK ON TRACK!!!

Don't forget to review!!

-mew-tsubaki


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